Can-cleaning machine.



PATENTBD AUG. 2, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1, 1903.

W MUNN CAN CLEANING MAGHINE.

NO MODEL No. 766,510. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. W. MUNN.

CAN CLEANING MACHINE.

urmonmn FILED mu 1, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

ATENT OFFICE.

W'ILLIAM MUNN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSICNOR TO ALASKA PACKERSASSOCIATION, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORA- TION OFCALIFORNIA.

CAN-CLEANING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,510, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed May 1, 1903- To (all 1117mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MUNN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of Cali- 5fornia, have invented an Improvement in Can- Cleaning Machines; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same.

My invention relates to a device for cleaning cans after they have beenfilled.

It consists in the combination. with a mechanism by which the cans aretransmitted to the cleaning device and they are advanced and arrestedwhile they are continuously rotated, of a blast and a valve andmechanism by which said valve is automatically opened Whenever a can ispresented and closed after the can has passed beyond its influence.

It also comprises means for controlling the supply of cans to theendless traveling chain by which they are advanced to the cleaningdevice and a means for regulating the tension of the conveyor-chain.

It also comprises details of construction which will be more fullyexplained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is aplan of turn-table partiallybroken away with blast mechanism closed. Fig. 3 is a partial plan ofturn-table with blast mechanism open. Fig. & is a partial sideelevation. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of chain-tension regulator. Fig. 6is a side elevation of can-admitting device. Fig. 7 is a plan of same.Fig. 8 is a side view of blast-valve mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail ofone of the carriers 6.

This invention is designed for the purpose of cleaning the outsides ofmetal cans, such as are employed for containing fish or other alimentarysubstances or any material which it is customary to place in cans, anditsobject is to place the cans in condition to receive the heads or capsby which they are closed and to cleanse the surfaces of any materialwhich might cling or stick to them or any oxidation which mightinterfere with the Serial No. 155,153. llo model.)

ready soldering of the caps after they have been placed in position.This I effect by the use of a blast of fiuid under a sufficiently highpressure to give it effective force, and this blast may either be usedalone or in conjunction with brushes, such as are shown in my patentnumbered 685,000, issued October 22, 1901.

In the present application I have described sufficient mechanism to showthe transmission of the cans and the application of an air-blast.

The cans are first filled with fish and afterward capped and soldered orhermetically sealed, and this apparatus is designed to be operated atsome point intermediate between the filling and the capping machine; butit will be manifest that the device could also be used independently ofany other apparatus in cases where it would be desirable to do so.

A is an endless chain passing around sprocket-wheels, as shown at 2, andthis chain has projecting from it arms 3. The chain, with its arms,travels above a horizontal table at, upon which the cans are deliveredwith the open ends upward after having been filled with fish or othermaterial preparatory to having the caps placed upon them. As shown inthe present case, the cans a are received upon a surface with circularor segmental guides at each side, between which they pass around untilthey contact with a stop or arm 11 which arrests the line of cans andprevents their moving forward until this step has been withdrawn. Thisstop is in the form of a lever-arm or plate, pivoted, as shown at b, andhaving an arm 0 projecting in the opposite direction from a. From thisarm a chain or flexible'connection (I connects with the outer arm a ofanother si1nilarly-pivoted lever, which has an army extending into thepath of the cans before they reach the line of travel of thechain-earried arms 3. A lever-arm /z, fixed to the shaft of the arms 1,is connected by a flexible chain with a rocker-arm /1 which isintermittently tilted by the movement of each can that has been receivedbetween the arms 3, so as to be advanced by the chain. Thus when thesearms are moved the arm u will be turned sufficiently out of the pathoftravel of the cans to allow one can to pass between it and the arm f.The next movement, tilting the arm a and simultaneously with it the armf by reason of the connecting-chains, will allow the first can to passthe arm f and to move into the space in front of one of the carrier-arms3. At thesame time another can will pass into the space between the armsa and f. Thus the cans will be automatically fed to the carrying-arms 3of the endless chain, and only one can will be delivered at eachinterval.

When the cans reach the point where they are" to be delivered to thecleaning apparatus, they contact with a directing device 5, which,standing at an incline, removes them out of the path of the arms 3 ofthe chain and delivers them to carriers 6, which are so mounted as tocarry the'cans around in a circular path of travel. When the cans reachthe point where they are to be cleansed, which may be onequarter of arevolution, more or less, of the carriers, they will be subjected to ablast of air, which is delivered from a nozzle 45. The position of thisnozzle is such that the blast of air will impinge upon that part of thecan to be cleansed approximately tangentially to the can-surface whilethe can is being revolved until its whole periphery has been subjectedto the blast.

The air of the jet-nozzle 45 is supplied through a pipe, as at 46, andis controlled by a cock or valve at 47.

In order to economize the air and to open the cock only when a can is inposition to be acted upon,the lever or arm 48, by which the cock isturned, is connected by a link 49 with a rod 50, which in turn connectswith a leverarm 51, having a vulcanite fiber or other roller 52 mountedupon it and in the path of travel of the cans as they pass around intheir circular course. As each can arrives at this roller 52 it pressesit and the lever-arm 51 out of the path of travel of the can, and indoing so it acts through the rod '50 and link 46 to turn the arm 48 ofthe cock, and thus open the valve so as to allow the jet of air to bedischarged through the nozzle 45 while the can is revolving in line withthe jet, as before described. This jet of air is provided from-anysource into which the air may be compressed to such a degree as may befound necessary for the purpose. I have found that from forty to fiftypounds is a very eificient pressure, and as the can is revolved rapidlywhile in front of the jet and its forward travel is temporarily arrestedthe airblast will thoroughly clean the surface, after which the can isallowed to move on, and as soon as it passes out of the line of theblast a spring, as at 53, acts to return the lever-arm 51 to its normalposition, and thus close the air-inlet valve until another can arrives,when the same operation will take place.

The cans when delivered to the carriers 6 are held between revolubleheads so driven that each can is rapidly revolved while passing aroundthe circle in which the carriers travel. The carriers are mounted andrevoluble upon a vertically-disposed shaft 7, as shown in plan view.After each can has been "cleansed, as previously described, it resumesits temporarily-interrupted travel and passes around the remainder ofthe circle until it is again delivered to the carrier-arms 3 of theendless traveling chain, and the cans are thus removed from thisapparatus and either de- "li'v'ered to the capper-machine or to anypoint desired. The cans when they are removed from the carrier-arms 3 bythe action of the directing device 5 are delivered uponavertically-moving table-having a spindle, as shown at 10. This table orsupport may fit into a suitable countersunk depression in the mainturn-table 11, which carries the cans around to the blast apparatus, andthere are as many of these can-supporting tables as there are carriers6. The spindles 10 are moved'vert'ically by the action of a cam, such as14, acting upon fulcrumed levers 12, having 'antifriction-rollers 13.This cam revolves in a horizontal plane, and the upper edge is so formedthat when the cans have been received upon the tables the higher portionof the cam will immediately afterward'arrive beneath the lever 12, whichactuates the stem 10, and thus lift the table. The upper open end of thecan is then in line beneath a conicallyshap'ed head 15, carried upon aspindle 16, which spindle is turnable through a turn-table 17-, and thisturn-table is axially in line with the turn-table 11, previouslydescribed. The cone-heads 15 are of such form that they fit into theopen heads of the cans, and there will be sufiicient pressure exerted bythe upward movement of the tables 9 to hold the cans firmly'against thecones. The cones and their spindles 16 are revolved by pinions 18, fixedto the upper ends of the spindles, and these pinions engage with a gear19, by which they are revolved. This gear 19 is driven from any suitablesource of power.

By a suitable mechanism, as shown at 20, the revolution of that part ofthe apparatus carrying the turn-table is arrested when each can hasarrived in front of the air-blast nozzle 45, and the can ceases toadvance; but the revolution of the can on its own axis continues for asufficient length of time to re volve it once or more in the path of theairblast, after which the apparatus again con' tinues its motion andthe'can is carried around and delivered to the arms 3 of the endlesschain to be removed. This portion of the apparatus'not being a part ofmy present invention is not further described at this place.

In order to maintain the proper tension upon the endless traveling chainA, I have shown a bracket'30, having one end centered concentricallywith the outer sprocket-wheel 2. naled an idler-sprocket 31, and the arm30 is turnable upon a segment 32 and may be fixed at any desired pointby set-screw or latch of any desired description. The chain A isnormally carried around the sprockets 2, as previously described, andwhenever it is necessary to tighten the chain it is only necessary toturn the arm 30 and cause the idlersprocket 31 to press against theinside of the returning portion of the chain, thus forcing it out of thestraight line of travel between the sprockets 2 and taking up as much ofthe slack of the chain as may be desired.

33 indicates the fast and loose pulleys, through the fast one of whichthe power is transmitted by a belt from any suitable source to revolvethe bevel-gears 34, through which power is transmitted to rotate thecan-carriers, as shown.

The horizontal shaft of the pulleys 33 is journaled and turnable in abox upon a bracket 35. and the lower end of this bracket has ajournal-box, as 36, which is turnable about the vertical shaft of thehorizontallyrotating bevel-gear 34. This allows the pulleys 33 to be setin any desired line, from which the power-belt may arrive at theapparatus without disturbing the setting of the apparatus itself.

The cones 15, which fit into the tops of the cans, also serve to pressthe contents well down around the edges, so that the space will beclear, and the cans are more easily and perfectly soldered.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for cleaning cans having in combination a rotary carrierfor the cans, an air-supply pipe having a jet-nozzle fixed in positionto discharge a jet of air directly upon the passing can, a valve in theair-pipe and controlling the same and normally closed to shut off theair from the'nozzle, and means connected with the valve and extendinginto the path of travel of the can for automatically opening the valveand supplying the air directly to the can at substantially the instantof presentation of the latter.

2. A can-cleaning apparatus comprising an air-supply pipe and a normallyclosed valve controlling the same, a rotary carrier for the cans, anozzle on the supply-pipe and directed into the range of action of thecarrier and adapted to deliver compressed air directly to the cans asthe latter are moved relative thereto, and valve-operating mechanismhaving a member disposed in the path of the cans while carried by thecarrier whereby the valve is opened to supply the air at substantiallythe instant of presentation of the can.

3. An apparatus for cleaning cans comprising a rotatable can-carrier, astationary jetnozzle exterior to the carrier and positioned in the otherend of the arm 30 is jourl to directly discharge a gaseous jet upon thecan during the movement of the latter by the carrier, a gaseous-supplypipe and a valve normally closing the same valve-actuating meanspositioned in the range of action of the moving can and actuated by thelatter at substantially the instant of presentation of said can wherebythe valve is opened and maintained open during the travel of the canpast the nozzle, and means whereby the valve is closed and thegas-pressure shut off when the can is carried out of the range of actionof the nozzle.

a. An apparatus for cleaning cans comprising a jet-nozzle, an air-supplypipe and a valve therein by which the flow of air under pressure to saidnozzle is controlled, intermittently-moving, horizontally-rotatablecarriers by which the cans are presented in line with the jet-nozzle toreceive upon their outer top surface the direct impact of the air,mechanism by which the cans are revolved, a fulcrumed lever having oneend connected with the air-valve and a spring by which the other end isnormally retained in the path of the moving can and the valve closed,said lever being moved to open the valve at the positioning of each canin front of the nozzle.

5. An apparatus for cleansing cans comprising a horizontal table uponwhich the cans are delivered, an endless traveling chain movable abovethe table having projecting arms adapted to engage and advance the canssuccessively, rotary carriers mounted upon a vertically-revoluble shaftadapted to receive the cans, means for guiding the cans from the table,anddelivering them from the chain carrier to the rotary carriers,turn-tables having revoluble heads between which the cans are receivedand clamped upon their arrival ,at said turn-tables, a jet-nozzle infront of which each of the cans is successively moved and revolved, avalve controlling the flow of the fluid under pressure through thenozzle, and a spring-actuated lever connected with and normally closingthe valve, said lever projecting into the path of the approaching cansso as to be moved by contact therewith to open the jet-valve.

6. In an apparatus for cleansing cans, a gaseous cleansing-fluid-supplypipe. a stationary jet-nozzle on the pipe and adapted to deliver thegaseous fluid directly to the cans, an automatically-actuated valve,means for successively presenting the cans and revolving them in frontof the nozzle and simultaneously opening the jet-valve, a horizontaltable upon which the cans are first received and from which they aredelivered to carriers by which they are transmitted to the jet-nozzle,stops by which the cans are arrested and means by. which the stops aremoved to admit the passage of single cans.

7. An apparatus for cleansing cans comprisinga blast-nozzle andcontrolling-valve,

IIO

revoluble tables and an endless traveling chain having projecting armsand a fixed guide by which the cans are presented to the revolubletables and transmitted to the blast apparatus, .a horizontal table uponwhich'the cans are first received and from which they are successivelydelivered to the chain carrier, a pair of stop-levers projecting intothe path of travel of the cans and having an interval sufficient toreceive a single can, rocker-arms and connections therewith whereby themovement of the cans will oscillate said arms and remove the stops fromthe path of the cans, whereby the cans are successively deliveredbetween the stops and to'the chain carrier at each oscillation.

8. An apparatus for cleansing cans and comprising a horizontal Ltableupon which cans are received, a can-supplying mechanism, a rotarycan-carrier andmeans foritranshand.

WILLIAM MUNN.

Witnesses: I

S. H. Nonnsn, J ESSIE C. BRODIE.

